


Wicker Man

by trekwars777



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Human Sacrifice, M/M, Prompt Fill, Rituals, might be a bit disturbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 19:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21307721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trekwars777/pseuds/trekwars777
Summary: Armitage Hux gets a strange call from his father to come to Dublin for an urgent matter, one of life and death...
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21
Collections: Huxloween 2019





	Wicker Man

**Author's Note:**

> I might go back and add some more detail to this later on.  
TW: Human sacrifice, blood, violence

Every thirty years, it was to happen. Someone of the Clan Hux or an acquaintance of theirs was to make a great sacrifice to the family come the thirteenth of the tenth month. It has been that way since the days of the Druids, since the family with flame red hair and emerald green eyes had spread throughout Ireland and Scotland. They would venture out to a field that night, chanting and preparing for the deeply mysterious ritual that was believed to bring them good luck. Should they forget, then they would remain cursed with the worst luck for thirty years, unless they could attempt to rectify it on their own. So it remained, and so it continued... and the Wicker Man would continue to claim his victim. 

Armitage received a rude awakening that morning. 

The phone rang like crazy, and he wanted to do nothing more but sleep. To him, it seemed like it grew louder and more insistent. Sighing, he got up from the bed and walked over to the phone's cradle, wincing when he looked at the caller ID. 

"Good morning father," he groaned, rolling his eyes as Kylo stirred gently from the bed. 

"Boy, I need you to come to Dublin in two weeks. It's time," he intoned. Armitage gasped in terror, realizing exactly what his father spoke of. A week from now, it would be the thirteenth of October. The ritual would need to be completed, lest his family be cursed with bad luck. He remembered Brendol telling him of the ritual when he was but six years old, how tears streamed down his face when he watched a screaming kitchen servant, the only friend he had, get slashed with a dagger and thrown into the blazing pit of a wicker man. "This sacrifice is necessary, boy," Brendol said sternly, his white painted face making him look ghoulish in the blaze of the fire. "We could have sacrificed you, but the wench insisted we spare you instead," he hissed. "Consider yourself lucky." Armitage shuddered, and looked over to Kylo, who now sat up and looked very confused at what was currently happening at the moment. 

"Alright, Father, I suppose I'll go. Just let me book tickets for the flight and we'll be on our way."

"We'll? Who are you bringing?" Brendol demanded, his voice rising slightly. 

"I'm bringing Kylo with me. I-I don't want to be alone, you know?" he explained. The other end of the line was silent. Finally, Brendol sighed, admitting defeat. 

"Alright, he may come. But I must warn you, it may be open season for both of you," he warned. 

"Noted. Goodbye, Father," Armitage said, hanging up the phone. Kylo inched closely towards his boyfriend, gently wrapping his arms around his waist. 

"What was that about?" Kylo asked him, kissing his cheek gently. Armitage blushed and then gave a sad sigh. 

"Well, every thirty years or so, my family builds a ridiculously big wicker man, picks someone to sacrifice, and burns said person to a crisp in the wicker man. Supposedly it's to prevent bad luck from happening, but I don't know if that's a real Druid thing or something my dad made up just to be an asshole and remain head of the family. But, there was this one year where we didn't do the ritual, and one of my aunts died a painful, terrible death, among other things that happened. But that was in the 1800s though- yet it still didn't stop the Hux family, and they keep burning each other to a crisp." 

"That sounds complicated. Babe, promise me I won't get burned or hurt, okay?" Kylo asked, sounding slightly concerned. 

"Ky, hon, I'm sure you'll be okay, but my dad said that supposedly it's open season, so he might pick any one of us to sacrifice," he replied, sounding genuinely forlorn. Gently, Kylo hugged him and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. 

"Don't worry, Armie. I'm sure everything's gonna end up fine. Now come on, we're gonna have breakfast," he said, gently leading him downstairs, where Millicent and Cujo waited at the foot of the stairs, expecting their breakfast. 

It rained when they arrived in Dublin a week from that day- driving rain that could cause anyone to crash if they weren't careful. Armitage drove his small car down a lonely road, as Kylo watched the rain pound mercilessly on the car. However, they were headed out of Dublin and towards the countryside, stopping at a small pub, just as Brendol told him to go to. The inside of the pub was cozy, yet had a strangely hostile feel to it as everyone watched them, almost as if they didn't belong there. Whispers, murmurs, and the soft sound of a piano playing welcomed them into the pub. 

"So. You came after all, boy." Armitage watched as the pub's patrons fell silent, almost as if in sync. A portly red-headed man rose from the bench of the piano and made his way towards the three. "And all in good time. He must be your traveling companion. How wonderful for him to come as well, he'll make a good sa- I mean, guest." Bravely, Kylo held out his hand.

"Good evening, I'm Kylo, Armitage's boyfriend," he said plainly, as Brendol shook his hand awkwardly. "So, I get what Hux told us, but why exactly are we here?" he asked. And at that moment, disapproving murmurs began to fill the air, as the patrons shook their heads and whispered. 

"This land is cursed," Brendol announced solemnly, and everyone fell silent in fear. "Many centuries ago, the Druids believed that their gods were angered by the people who lived in this very place. They were to sacrifice a person by burning an effigy- a wicker man, so to speak. They were to go through with this every thirty years, lest they face the ire of their gods. We have forgotten once, and the gods have shown their anger towards us. We were warned, and we must not fail."

"We must not fail. We must not fail," the patrons intoned in sync, almost as if they were possessed by an ancient ghost. 

"Fulfill the ritual. Appease the gods. Light the Wicker Man," Brendol said in a trance-like voice. A loud crack of thunder seemed to startle everyone out of their reverie and back to their regular selves. 

"Well, that's why we're here, Father," Armitage said, "to fulfill the ritual," he added, wincing. Brendol got an odd smile on his face and looked down towards Armitage. 

"Indeed, my son. But for now, we must get some rest. After all, tomorrow we have our main priorities," he said, leading them out of the pub and into the night. 

"Am I glad to get out of there," Kylo quipped, opening her umbrella as he and Hux got in the car, following Brendol as they went from the pub to a stately manor. As they watched the world zoom buy from the windows, a strange thing caught their eye by a sudden flash of lightning. It was a strange effigy of a person, made entirely of wood...the Wicker Man. 

The doors to the manor opened, and the eerie silence was broken by the loud creak of hinges and the sound of shivers of cold. "Welcome to Hux Manor," Brendol said, turning on the lights and leading the two inside. It was nice and warm inside, and gave the weary travelers a false sense of security as Brendol lead each of them to their rooms. 

"Kylo, you shall stay in Lachlan's room, and Armitage- your room remains. Pleasant dreams, all," Brendol said, but that seemed to scare them rather than offer reassurance. They all had a restless sleep that night, one plagued with nightmares. Armitage dreamed he was all alone in a field, save for Kylo and Brendol. Both wore menacing grins as they lead him into the flames of the Wicker Man, chanting ominously. Kylo dreamed that he was being dragged against his will up a narrow staircase and thrown by force into the giant Wicker Man, with Armitage being thrown in alongside him. The morning didn't help, either- dark,menacing clouds still filled the sky, making the manor look foreboding and eerie, straight out of a Vincent Price film.

"Armitage, are you prepared for tonight?" Brendol asked. "We have been building our wicker man for quite some time, and it will be such a shame for it to be burned down. All for naught, and all to see an innocent person die in order to appease the gods. But who shall be our brave volunteer?" Brendol mused. Armitage and Kylo felt their pulses begin to race in anxiety. Was he implying one of them would be sacrificed? Armitage figured that Brendol would want to sacrifice him in the Wicker Man, since he loathed him after all. But losing Kylo? Hux would hate to see that happen. Right then and there, he couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to do something- and fast.

"I won't let you sacrifice me or Kylo!" Armitage yelled, standing up forcefully. Brendol stood up and faced his son with great anger, rage filling his face. 

"How dare you speak with such insolence, boy?!" he roared. "You know I can do what I please and I still have control over you! Remember your place, or I shall cause you great suffering!" he roared. "Why," a wicked smile curled on his lips, "why, the two of you would make for wonderful sacrifices. Double the victims means double the luck for everyone here. And besides, who would miss two useless fools?"

"Oh, you doubt me," Hux said with a sneer. "You made me suffer for too long, and I can be just as cruel as you were, father. Just wait and see. I'll get my revenge someday, mark my words," he said, and that was when an idea came to his mind. Of course, he would have to speak with Kylo about his plan away from Brendol- there was no telling what his father could do and how he would react. 

After that tense breakfast, Hux took Kylo into a separate room and both began to weave their tangled scheme, one that would complete the ritual and give Armitage his revenge...

They stood in a field, clad in white robes and with strange symbols painted on their faces. A drum beat out a rhythm, and ritual prayers were spoken. Brendol stepped forward, a wreath upon his head and Druid symbols painted on his face. Armitage watched as the participants seemed to wait in anticipation at what Brendol would say. Who would be at the mercy of the Wicker Man this time? Would the gods find it a worthy sacrifice for them? He took a deep breath, raised a flute to his lips, and began to play a solemn melody. With every note he played, everyone seemed to feel as if the gods of the Druids were among them, singing and conversing with those around. Brendol watched as Kylo and the others lurched forwards, surrounding him and chanting menacingly. 

"Fulfill the ritual. Appease the gods. Light the Wicker Man. We must not fail," they chanted. Hux continued to play wildly, as Brendol watched in fear. 

"Fulfill the ritual." Hux moved forward now, ending his music and standing beside Kylo. 

"Brendol Hux. You disapproved of me, of my lover, of everything I have done. Your cruelty has caused me great pain and suffering. For that, Kylo and I have decided to make you the next sacrifice for the Wicker Man," he said. "Now, Kylo, if you would do the honors?" Hux said, with a wicked smile as Kylo moved forward, holding the dagger that would now be stained with Brendol's blood. Within realizing that he would be doomed to die, Brendol's eyes grew wide and he began to quake in fear.

"No. Armitage, stop, I beg of you!" Brendol pleaded desperately. "I may have made a mistake, but I can change! I swear, I can!"

"Your mistakes have caused me great pain!" Hux yelled, "and for that, I must punish you. Your cruelty is unforgivable. You need to pay. And after all... we must not fail." He raised the flute to his lips, the drumbeats began, and Kylo raised the dagger to slash at Brendol. Brendol screamed in terror as the blade hit his skin. Blood began to spurt from his veins, and his screams filled the air along with the ritual chants. More blood spilled, and then Brendol was hoisted into the Wicker Man despite his protests. He tried desperately to bargain for his life, but all to no avail. 

They did not fail. The gods were appeased. The ritual was fulfilled. The firelight glowed brighter that night with the embrace of two lovers, in spite of their blood stained faces and bodies.

The Wicker Man had claimed his victim. 


End file.
